ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County officials said late Monday that they have paused online appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations at the Orange County Convention Center as appointments have exceeded 70,000.

“That’s a significant number,” Dr. Raul Pino, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, said at a coronavirus news briefing.

Pino said that number accounts for more than 35,000 people age 65 and over who have scheduled “future” first and second shots.

He said officials decided to pause Convention Center appointments because people who haven’t scheduled appointments likely will get their shots earlier as more vaccination sites open around Orange County.

“At the same time,” Pino said, people who have later appointments at the Convention Center “are going to try to get earlier appointments (at other sites), which is absolutely fine.”

“With that,” he said, “we ask the public, please, please, if you have an appointment with us and decide for whatever reason not to go, cancel the appointment on the website, because that will open the appointment for another person to use.”

Pino said the county holds about 20,000 doses and that it will open a vaccination site for UCF employees age 65 and older and a site for Orange County Public Schools workers age 65 and over.

He said the county probably will open online appointments on a weekly basis.

“Right now, we don’t have 70,000 doses of vaccine,” Pino said. “We are going to have it. We have no concerns about the distribution at this point, but we don’t have it. As we acquire vaccines from the state, we will continue to” open online appointments.

Also during Monday’s coronavirus news briefing, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said the county as of Monday morning had vaccinated more than 43,000 people, about 3 percent of its population.

He said Orange County Fire Rescue and EMS staff members on Monday started visiting senior communities to provide information about the vaccines. Those teams will administer the vaccines in 65-over communities “within the next few days,” Demings said.

The mayor also said that True Health has offered 2,100 doses of the Moderna vaccine at selected locations for people 65 and older, residents and staff of long-term-care facilities and health care personnel who make direct contact with patients. He directed residents to the county’s vaccination page.

Pino said “We want to increase the presence of minorities, people of color. Please make the reservations when they become available.” He emphasized that COVID-19 tends to affect minority groups more than others.

Vaccinations at the Orange County Convention Center are located at:
OCCC North Concourse
9400 Universal Blvd., Orlando, FL, 32819
Click here for map and directions

COVID-19 testing at the Orange County Convention Center are located at:
Destination Parkway Garage
5980 Destination Parkway, Orlando, FL 32819
Click here for map and directions

Enter at the intersection of Universal Boulevard and Destination Parkway.